Spooky Hayffie
by danythedragon
Summary: In honour of Halloween 2012, I bring you Spooky Hayffie, my mini-series. Obviously, it involves my two favourite characters - Haymitch and Effie. I will be posting a few short stories throughout today and tomorrow as part of this. Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins... yet. I'm working on it. I'll keep you updated.
1. Haymitch The Werewolf

_**A/N: In honour of Halloween being tomorrow, I bring you my Spooky Hayffie mini-series! Throughout today and tomorrow, I will be posting short stories as part of the series. Enjoy. :)  
**_

_**-Ellie.**_

_**P.S. I forgot to say that they're not necessarily romantic… The first isn't really. The others may be.**_

* * *

It's a dull, dreary evening in District 12. A low fog has settled, shrouding the District in an eerie grey mist, and preventing visibility any further than a few feet in any direction. Effie clings to Haymitch's arm, allowing him to guide her as she stumbles her way to Victors Village in her 6-inch heels.

"C'mon. Gotta get there quickly. Don't have much time."

"What? What's the hurry, Haymitch?" She asks, confused.

"It's getting late. Be night soon." He answers gruffly.

She doesn't argue, finding it easier to just agree with this temperamental man.

In a few more minutes, they're in his home. She's settling into the spare room when he enters, shaking a little and looking worse for wear.

"Do me a favor princess? Keep that window shut tonight." He requests.

"Why? Is it awfully dangerous?" She glances out of the window and notices a large hole in one of his fence panels. Haymitch's house backs on to the very edge of the District, the woods surrounding District 12 on the other side. "I'm sure if you fixed your fence, nothing could possibly get in." She reasons. He shakes his head.

"No. I… uh… I need that there. The hole." He informs her, swiftly turning on his heel and leaving the room.

"Haymitch, wh-?" She yells, but he's already vanished.

After going through her nighttime beauty regimen, she settles by the window, watching the moon rise in the distance, the light barely visible through the thick fog and clouds. Something catches her attention in the garden – no, not some_thing_… some_one_. Haymitch. She watches in confusion as he rushes through the garden to the hole in the fence. She starts when his eyes lock with hers. He smiles apologetically before ducking through the fence and disappearing from view. She frowns, confused and more than a little concerned.

"Where on earth are you going?" She murmurs to herself quietly.

She realizes he's been acting rather strange today… stranger than usual. Let's face it; he's always been a little strange. Today there's something different. It's like he's afraid or preoccupied. He seems more… _dangerous._ She decides she doesn't like being kept in the dark. She wants to know what's going on. While it may be foolish, the curiosity overpowers her logic, and she hunts through her suitcase for some warmer clothes. She settles on a pair of skinny jeans – which she _only_ wears in private or in the cold – and a thick, woolen sweater, which she found in a Capitol boutique and figured it would be perfect for the cold nights of District 12. She pulls on a pair of boots – the heel only 3 inches, so walking in them will be a piece of cake! – And the coat Haymitch keeps in her house for her to wear when she visits during winter. Not bothering with makeup or her wig – because the dreadful mist would ruin its beautiful curls! – She exits the house through the backdoor and creeps down the garden. She hesitates; scared of the woods and realizing she knows absolutely nothing about the wilderness. She reasons with herself that she will not go far… just perhaps a few feet in. Taking a deep breath, she ducks through the fence.

She shivers. It's dark without the faint glow from the house, and the air seems more chilled. She's glad she's wearing her coat, but she wishes she had searched for a flashlight first. She takes a few steps away from the fence, the fog surrounding the bases of the trees making her feel like she's in a horror movie.

"Haymitch?" She whispers, her breath causing a fine mist to disperse into the air around her. "Haymitch?" She whimpers, a little louder, but still not much louder than a whisper.

There's no answer and she jumps slightly when she hears a howl in the distance. She gulps, terrified. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come to the woods, but what about Haymitch? She finds herself worrying. Is he safe? _Where_ is he? She ventures a few more feet into the blackness of the forest, shivering either from the cold or from pure fear.

"Haymitch?" She calls out again, her voice shaky and quiet. Somewhere close to her, a twig snaps. She freezes. "Haymitch?" She murmurs, terrified.

Her answer is a growl… a snarl that sends a cold, terrified chill through her body. She takes a deep breath, slowly turning around to face whatever monster she's disturbed, her heart racing from sheer horror and her entire body trembling.

She gasps when she comes face to face with a… monster. She thinks, quickly, back to the fairytales of her childhood. It looks familiar. She stares at it, eyes wide, frozen on the spot, as the monster takes a step towards her, its teeth bared.

She whimpers, memories of her childhood coming back to her. It's… a _werewolf_?

She takes in its appearance – tall and stocky when it stands on its hind legs, scruffy, dark fur that looks a little longer than it probably should be, long, sharp teeth and claws, a little blood around its mouth. The thing that shocks her the most, though, is the werewolf's eyes. They're gray; gray with light specks that make them look like liquid steel or silver. Silver eyes. They're eyes she knows.

"Haymitch?" She questions, horrified and shaking with fear.

The wolf growls and takes another step forward, watching her. She feels as though his eyes are burning through her. Only his eyes can do that. Only his eyes can freeze her on the spot. "Haymitch? It's me… It's Effie."

Out of nowhere, the wolf howls towards the sky; a deafening howl that rings in her ears and makes her blood run cold. The wolf looks at her, snarling, baring its teeth, and moves forward, walking towards her threateningly. She steps back, terrified, and whimpers when her back hits a tree. The wolf growls again and springs off its hind legs, hurtling towards her.

Her scream echoes through the darkness of District 12, but the silence that follows is more chilling.


	2. Effie The Vampire

_**A/N: Spooky Hayffie part 2! Effie the vampire. I've done some research into sexual vampires before (don't ask.), so don't worry! No sparkly Twilight bullshit here. (Not that I hate twilight… the books aren't bad, I suppose.) I mean that we won't see any sparkly vampires with no fangs in my stories. Effie has fangs, but you'll have to read to find out how she uses them. ;) **_

_**You'll have to wait until tomorrow for the next one. I don't Trick-Or-Treat, so I'll be writing and updating like hell.**_

_**Mild smut, but nothing too graphic. Enjoy. :)**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

Haymitch and Chaff have been wandering around the Capitol all evening. They haven't drank as much as usual, and they're not sure why. They sense they're definitely on the wrong side of town, too far from the Training Center to be fully comfortable in such a strange City. They're too sober for their own liking too, so Haymitch points out a dimly lit club across the street. It's black, lit up only by the red neon sign on the front.

"Midnight.." Haymitch murmurs, eyeing the sign.

"This place looks weird, Mitchy."

"You want a drink or not?" Haymitch snaps.

"Stupid question. I've seen some shady types coming in and out of this place though."

"Yeah well… I'm thirsty." Haymitch marches up to the door, Chaff on his heels.

They enter the club. Haymitch is sort of amazed by the décor in the place. Everything's red or black, giving off a luxurious vibe, but it's still kind of dark in there - the entire place is lit by candles. The bar looks like it's made of something rich, like mahogany, and judging by the expensive looking candelabras and plush, red velvet seats, it wouldn't surprise him.

Haymitch approaches the bar, taking a seat at one of the stools, Chaff taking the one next to him. A strange looking bartender approaches, and Haymitch tries to ignore the stares from the other people in the room.

"Gentlemen." The barman greets them in a deep, smooth voice, with a hint of the Capitol accent. "What can I get you?"

"Whiskey." Haymitch replies gruffly. Chaff nods.

The bartender produces two glasses of whiskey quickly, and leaves the two men alone.

Haymitch glances around the room, taking in his surroundings and the weird people in the club. They're all in dark clothing, most of them wearing little more than underwear. There's one woman in leather pants and a deep purple corset, not that he's looking at her. He almost chokes on his drink when his eyes land on a different woman. A beauty. Her hair falls in loose blonde curls, just past her shoulders. She's wearing ruby red lipstick, a delicious contrast to her milky white skin. The red of the lipstick matches the red on her dress – a form fitting number that falls to around her knees. It's a simple, off the shoulder design. Nothing fancy, but it clings to her body in all the right places. She's paired it with some killer heels – black and at least 5 inches high. She's easily the most eye-catching thing in the room, but she looks like she's staying out of the way – keeping to the shadows. He can't take his eyes off her. She's stunning.

He tenses when she glances up and her eyes lock with his. He can't tear his gaze away. His friend notices.

"'Mitch," Chaff nudges him. Haymitch turns his head slightly, but doesn't take his eyes off the woman. "She looks like a weird one. Wouldn't go there if I were you."

"She's fucking beautiful." Haymitch states absently.

"Somethin' off about her, buddy."

"Mm…" Haymitch is trapped in her gaze, like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck, and he can't escape. He doesn't think he wants to. He wants this woman. He feels a strange feeling stirring within him as she smirks slightly – a dark, seductive smirk. He senses she's the kind of woman who gets what she wants, and he wonders if she wants him. As if she heard his mental question, she licks her lips slowly, biting her lip and holding his gaze. He sucks in a breath with a low hiss. She gestures with a slim, perfectly manicured finger for him to approach her. He stands, unable to refuse, walking over to her and ignoring his friend's voice shouting after him. He's locked in her piercing gaze. As he gets nearer, he notices her eyes – a strange shade of blue… almost violet – made more vibrant by the black makeup around them.

She walks gracefully, almost floating over to a secluded corner table and gesturing for him to follow. He sits down next to her at the small, round table.

"Why were you watching me?" She asks, her voice like sweet music to his ears. She cocks her head slightly, questioning him.

"I… um…" He stutters nervously. "I just think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He blurts out, feeling like he's under a spell. Her spell.

She smirks and leans toward him slightly, resting her elbow on the table as she leans her head on her hand. He notices her nails, painted black with an intricate red pattern on each. He can't figure out what it is, but he notices that her nails look damn sharp.

"What's your name?" She asks. He gulps, nervous for some reason.

"Haymitch. Haymitch Abernathy." He murmurs.

"Haymitch Abernathy…" She muses. "That's a strange name."

"Well what's yours, sweetheart?" He asks, smirking at her.

"Effie Trinket."

"Typical Capitol girl then?"

She smirks. "We're not all the same, actually."

She glances up and he follows her gaze. Chaff is watching them from the bar, a dark expression on his face.

"Would you like to go somewhere a little more private, so we can… talk?" She purrs, her finger lightly stroking his forearm. He nods, deemed speechless by the movement of her finger. Her hand drifts down to his, and she rises, pulling him with her. He lets her guide him down the hall, not noticing the private smirk she shares with the bartender as they leave the main room. She leads him down to the end of the hallway, opening a thick mahogany door and pulling him through, before locking the door behind her.

He takes in the new room – a bedroom. His eyes widen slightly, but he can't pretend for one second that he's not feeling smug at the inevitable activity he's about to take part in with this beautiful woman. The room is decorated like the main bar – all red and black velvet and deep mahogany. It's candle lit, he notices, just like the bar. He wonders if it's a running theme in this weird place. He feels her hand drift across his shoulders as she walks around him, stopping when she's directly in front of him. His heart begins to race. She smiles, as if sensing it, her expression dark and hungry.

"So, Mr Abernathy…" She purrs in her smooth, seductive voice. "What would you like to do now?" He groans slightly as she runs her nails lightly down his torso, stopping at his belt. She's smirking seductively up at him, eyeing him through her lashes. He knows exactly what he wants now. His body is making it pretty damn clear, his pants growing tighter by the second. She sees the lust in his eyes, and he sees the hunger in hers. She's the one to react.

She grabs him by the collar, pulling his face to hers and kissing him hungrily. He groans, responding immediately, his hands finding her waist and pulling her closer. She pushes his jacket off and rips at his vest, a few of the buttons falling to the floor as she pushes it away from him and onto the carpet. He feels her pulling at his shirt, and gasps a little when she tears the fabric at the seams, literally ripping it off him.

"You're a little eager, aren't you?" He murmurs against her frantic lips. She giggles, a sweet, melodic sound, and continues her assault, moving to his neck. He plants his lips on her skin wherever he can reach, fumbling with her dress and trying to push it away. Eventually, he's successful, and she's already worked on his belt, pulling it through the loops of his pants. She pushes his pants away, not wasting any time and discarding his boxers with them. She gives him a feline grin, reaching down to grasp him with her small hand. He groans as she teases him until he can take no more. He pulls her hand away, wrapping her arms around his neck and picking her up off the floor, staggering over to the bed and falling on top of her. She works with him to remove her underwear and lets him kiss her body for a few moments, letting out a few soft moans at his touches.

He gasps when she flips them over without warning and straddles him.

"Fuck. You're stronger than you look, sweetheart." He grins up at her. She giggles again. He watches as she walks to retrieve his belt, swaying her hips. "What're you gonna do with that?"

"I'll show you exactly what I'm going to do with it, Mr Abernathy." She purrs, winking at him and sending a fresh wave of arousal through his body, straight down to his already hardened member. In a flash, his arms are up and securely fastened to the intricate mahogany headboard.

"What the fuck?" He growls, more than a little turned on by her actions. She simply smirks at him, leaning down to kiss his chest, her lips slowly moving lower down his body. "Oh… Fuck…" He groans, his eyes closing in ecstasy when she runs her tongue along him. He feels her lips making their way back up his body, every delicate kiss adding to the pure lust running through his veins. She inhales as she lightly runs her tongue up his neck, and pulls back, her eyes darkening with hunger. She claims his lips with hers again as she lowers herself onto him, both of them moaning at the sensation as she begins to move, setting a pace that she likes. He's not used to having no control, but fuck, he loves it right now. The pleasure grows as her pace quickens slightly, her head thrown back and soft moans escaping her lips. He watches her. She's a strange creature, he thinks, like nothing he's ever seen before. He wants to touch her, but the leather belt around his wrists cuts into his skin if he moves even a tiny bit. He clenches his jaw as he tries to resist coming early. He can't get enough of this strange, beautiful creature. If he wants more, he's got to impress her the first time.

She looks down at him with her black, hungry eyes, and he feels his heart race from both arousal and intimidation. She leans down to kiss his neck once more, her tongue trailing all the way up to his ear. He hisses in pain and pleasure when her nails dig into his shoulder, cutting through the skin and drawing blood. He hears her growl and his eyes widen as he feels a sharp pain in his neck. He groans, the pain adding to the pleasure, but still hurting a little too much.

"What was that?" He breathes, unable to form a proper sound.

She pulls back and his eyes widen with fear and a little amazement. His blood trickles down her chin slightly and blends in with the ruby on her lips. She licks them slowly, taking in every drop of scarlet she can reach with her tongue.

"You should never give in so easily to strangers, Mr Abernathy." She purrs, and he sees the fangs, suddenly revealing themselves from within her gums. She growls once more, and he groans loudly as she leans down, digging her deadly teeth into his flesh and humming with satisfaction as she laps up his blood.

He thinks he should want to fight, but the pain of her bite mixed with the pleasure of her walls clamping around him makes it impossible to resist her.

If she kills him, he's gonna die a happy man.


	3. Penthouse Of Horrors

_**A/N: Happy Halloween, my fellow Hayffie shippers. In honour of the day, and the fact I have no friends to trick-or-treat with, I bring you Spooky Hayffie part 3 - Penthouse Of Horrors. Halloween fun with Haymitch and Chaff. I'll admit, I like this one, but Effie, my poor baby! I'm so sorry! Don't worry though, because neither of them die.**_

_**This marks the end of Spooky Hayffie 2012, unless my tumblr buddies send me another prompt. I've had fun writing them, and I hope you have/have had fun reading them. Enjoy. :)**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

Haymitch saunters into the familiar bar of the Training Center, grinning to himself and working at the genius plan in his head.

"Hey Chaff!" He greets his friend, not drunk, but not exactly sober either.

"Mitch! You look a little too happy." Chaff accuses, eyeing Haymitch suspiciously. "You get some with your Escort again or something?"

"No. Well, yeah, maybe, but no! That's not what I'm smiling at."

"Go on…?" Chaff pushes.

"Ever heard of Halloween?" Haymitch asks, grinning at his friend.

"Halloween? No, what is it?"

"It's a celebration people used to do once a year before the Dark Days, and it happens to be today. You celebrate all things scary, play pranks, dress up, that kinda thing." He explains, still grinning.

"And?" Chaff questions, smirking a little.

"And… I'm thinking about introducing Trinks to the beauty of horror." He smirks, his friend grinning in understanding.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, she scares easily, so I've got a plan. I call it Penthouse of Horrors."

Haymitch goes on to explain his plan, and the two friends head up to the District 12 Penthouse, where Haymitch has already stacked up a pile of supplies he'll need to pull this off.

—-**_—_**

Effie's tired after the long day she's had. She's relieved when the elevator opens and she can finally escape into the quiet of the penthouse for the rest of the evening. She almost chokes when she emerges from the elevator, walking through an invisible… _cobweb_?

"Ugh! What on Earth!?" She exclaims, glancing back at whatever she's walked through. "Haymitch?" She shouts to see if he's there, but there's no answer. There's no answer from anyone. She frowns, looking around for an Avox. There's no one there; no one at all. She thinks it's odd, but she supposes Haymitch excused them in a rage and left, so they wouldn't know to come back.

She walks over to the small closet that acts as a cloakroom, murmuring angrily about the improperness of a lady having to hang her own coat. She's unsuspecting as she opens the door, jumping backwards in absolute horror when what appears to be a bloody corpse falls out of the closet. She screams louder than she's ever screamed before, her heart racing in shock. She eyes it from where she is now standing - back by the elevator. Is it _real_? It's… mangled. She takes deep breaths to control her breathing, concluding that it mustn't be real, and that insufferable drunk is playing a prank on her. Still, she doesn't dare actually approach the corpse, just incase.

She turns to walk into the penthouse, settling for hanging her coat in her bedroom instead. She freezes, gasping at the sight before her. There's broken glass scattered on the floor, as well as… wait, is that _blood_!? Not daring to breathe, she slowly turns her head to look at the corpse and back to the room again. Her head snaps around when she hears a noise – a creaking floorboard – from down the hall. She gulps, deciding to be as quiet as possible, but follow the trail of blood. Haymitch could be hurt. She needs to be brave. She glances around again quickly. There's a clear sign of a struggle. She follows the splatters of blood through the penthouse, climbing the stairs to the kitchen/diner area as quietly as she can, her heart pounding in her ears.

She covers her mouth in absolute horror at what she finds. In a small pool of blood on the floor lays a knife – Haymitch's knife? She doesn't dare check, because right next to it is a severed, mangled hand. She feels tears of fear escape her eyes as she tries to identify the hand from a short distance away. She doesn't want to approach it. She feels sick. She prays it's not Haymitch's hand. Where is he? Is he hurt? Is he safe? Is _she_ safe here? These questions rush through her mind as she tries to control her breathing. Quiet sobs escape her. She jumps when she hears a clanging noise from near the elevator; sounding like someone has dropped something heavy and metal on the floor. She gulps, creeping back down the stairs to peek around the corner. She sees a pipe rolling out of the cloakroom, and swears she sees something move in the shadows of the closet.

"W-who's there?" She asks in a shaky voice. "Reveal yourself." She demands. No answer. "Haymitch? Is it you?" She questions, worried and scared.

Her eyes widen when a man dressed in black steps out of the closet, his face and hair covered by a black ski mask. From here, she can't see his eyes – can't see the silver that would put her mind and fears at ease.

The unidentifiable man steps forward, pulling a scary looking dagger out from his belt. She backs away slowly.

"Who are you? What are you doing?" She asks as the man matches her steps, moving forward for every time she steps further away.

He holds up the knife towards her, quickening his pace. She whimpers.

"Please don't hurt me." She begs, tears falling freely from her eyes. The man chuckles darkly and continues to approach her, reaching out to grab her roughly. She screams, shaking off his grip, and runs, heading for the main bathroom. She slams the door, locking it, and slowly backs away, trying to control her breath. It's silent for a moment as she takes tiny steps backwards, away from the door and the horrors behind it. She thinks that she's safe for now, until she senses movement behind her. Crying tears of terror, she turns around, only to come face to face with another man – he's dressed the same as the man outside, but he's slightly stockier. She screams again, rushing to the door and unlocking it, flinging it open and preparing herself to fight. She flails her arms wildly as she runs, hoping to fend off any attack, heading for the safety of her bedroom. She's grateful she knows the path by heart, because she can't see through her tears.

She bursts through her bedroom door, the other man on her heels, and slams the door in his face. She runs across the room, but a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, grabbing her from behind.

"NO! PLEASE! NO!" She screams hysterically, begging and crying and wildly thrashing her arms around in the hopes of landing a few hits on her attacker.

"PLEASE!" She pleads, sobbing and trying to force her way out of his arms. "LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING! PLEASE!" She screams, and in a desperate last hope, forces her fist to connect with the man's jaw with all the strength she can muster.

"Ah fuck!" A familiar voice growls, and the man releases her and reaches up to feel his injured jaw. Effie collapses on the floor, crawling to the foot of her bed and sobbing hysterically.

"Please don't kill me! I'm sorry!" She pleads.

"Damn, woman! You've got one hell of a punch!" The man grumbles in a gruff voice she knows too well. She looks up at him, blinking through her tears. The man reaches up to remove his ski mask.

"H-Haymitch?" She questions in complete shock.

"Happy Halloween, Princess!" He laughs, still rubbing his jaw.

"YOU BASTARD!" She screams, launching herself at him and hitting him repeatedly in the chest with her tiny fists, sobbing at the same time.

"Effie! Effie, calm down!" He tries to grab her wrists, but she's strong and fast.

"YOU BASTARD! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, HAYMITCH!" She's screaming obscenities at him, still attacking him and landing punches wherever she can reach. "I thought I was going to die, you bastard!" She cries, finally giving in and sobbing once more. He chuckles, pulling her in for a tight embrace as she collapses against him. "I thought I was going to die!" She whimpers through hysterical sobs against his shirt.

"Relax! It's okay, sweetheart. It was just a joke. Just a prank."

"A PRANK!?" She yells, switching between sobbing into his shirt and screaming at him. "WHAT. WERE. YOU. THINKING!?" She screams in between punches and buries her face into his shoulder once more.

"I'm sorry. It was funny though." He laughs, stroking her hair. She shakes her head, too emotionally exhausted to say anything more, and too preoccupied with her sobbing.

Chaff enters the room, smirking and holding his ski mask in his one hand.

"Sorry, little lady." He laughs. Haymitch smirks up at him.

"Fuck you, Chaff." She murmurs against Haymitch's shoulder, causing both men to guffaw loudly.

"None of it was real, Princess." Haymitch assures her in a smooth voice. She whines, her sobs turning into gasps for air and sniffles.

"I t-thought you were d-dead." She whimpers into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. We're both sorry, aren't we, Chaff?" Haymitch smirks up at his friend, but Effie can't see. Chaff smirks back.

"Course we are. We're both sorry, little lady." He agrees.

Haymitch strokes her hair soothingly, letting her sob against him.

"It's alright, Effs. I'm not dead, you're not gonna die. You're safe. I've got ya, sweetheart."

Chaff sends one more smirk Haymitch's way, before excusing himself back to District 11's apartment, leaving Haymitch sitting on the floor with Effie snuggled into his arms, sobbing lightly.

Haymitch smiles as she snuggles closer to him, because in his opinion, this whole thing was totally worth it. She'll want him to cuddle her tonight.

He likes that she feels safe in his arms.


	4. Costumes (Bonus Chapter)

_**A/N: This isn't my best, not by a long shot, but come on, there's no way in hell I could resist that Halloween prompt/quote from the Hayffie podcast:**_

**"Why would the Capitol celebrate Halloween? You're already in costume 24/7."**

_**This is just a little bit of light relief from the Spooky Hayffie things I've been posting. Basically, it's not spooky in the least. It's halloween themed, so I'm gonna post it as part of the mini-series anyway. Oh and it's not edited properly. I just whipped it up real quick. Excuse any mistakes/typos and, hopefully, enjoy. :)**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

"Haymitch!" Her ridiculously chipper voice breaks through his whiskey-induced haze. He sighs, watching his bedroom door, just waiting for her to invade his privacy again. She doesn't knock – she stopped bothering when he stopped answering her about… was it 3 years ago? He can't remember. He doesn't really care. She bursts into his room; a whirl of color disturbing the peaceful dim light he surrounds himself in. He finds that light makes his headaches worse. Effie tends to have the same effect.

"Ah, Haymitch! There you are!" She trills, flashing him her obnoxiously wide smile. He swears one day she's gonna over do it and break her pretty little face – not that he thinks she's pretty. Course he doesn't. "I have a costume for you! Now, get changed. We are expected downstairs at the party in approximately 60 minutes, and we shall be there in no more than 50."

He watches her in confusion as she hangs a strange looking outfit on the door to his closet, making him jump into action.

"Wait just one minute, woman! What costume? What party? Who says I'm going to any damn party?"

"This has been planned for months, Haymitch! Really! It is the Capitol's most exclusive Halloween party. The President himself will be there, and-"

He interrupts her with a scoff. The President. How _lucky_ he is to have an invite. She glares at him, her hands on her hips. He smirks at her

_"It's a celebration, Haymitch, and we are going."_

_"Why would the Capitol celebrate Halloween? You're already in costume 24/7."_

_She takes a deep breath, clearly trying to remain calm._

_"I'm going to ignore that remark, Haymitch, and I'm going to pretend that instead of acting like the petulant child you so clearly are, you simply agreed with me for once in your life. I am going to imagine that you're simply doing as you're told."_

_He stands up, crossing the room to her easily, not drunk enough to stagger yet._

_"Listen here, Trinket. You are not my mother. You are not my boss. You are my Escort. You know what that means, sweetheart? It means you don't get to tell me what to do, you don't get to control me, and you don't get to act all superior. I'm not going to any damn party, woman. I'm gonna stay here where it's nice and quiet, and I'm gonna drink until I pass out. You understand?" He finds his face just inches away from hers. She's clearly disgusted, leaning back, trying to put as much distance in between them as she can. It's times like these he's glad he drinks hard liquor. Damn woman can't stand it. He gives her a smug grin, purposefully lifting his bottle and taking a large gulp, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. She snaps._

_"You know what? You listen, Abernathy." She hisses, jabbing him in the chest with a perfectly manicured finger. He flinches, her deadly nail feeling like it's breaking through his skin. "I will not allow you to tarnish our reputation any further than you already have. You are a constant embarrassment! I have had enough of you making me look like a fool!" She jabs him again and he hisses in pain._

_"Damn, woman! Okay. I get it!" He gives in, holding his hands up in surrender, but she's not finished yet. At this point, he's the one leaning away from her. She's moved forward, murmuring threateningly right in his face._

_"Now, you will put on the damn costume and stop acting like a pathetic little child, and you will do so promptly!" She growls, and Haymitch feels genuinely intimidated by the small, seemingly harmless woman. "Are we clear?"_

_She looks at him expectantly, a dangerous glint in her eyes. He can tell she's pissed off. He figures he might as well let her have this little victory. He doesn't have to actually enjoy the party, but it's an excuse to drink with Chaff. He nods, glaring right back at her. That irritating smile appears on her face immediately, and he's a little startled at how fast she can make that switch. She straightens up, smiles brightly at him, and heads to the door._

_"Lovely! I'm sure you will look just wonderful in your costume. We're matching, you know!" She beams, watching as he pokes the costume and scowls._

_"Wait, what the hell are we even dressing as? What is this?" He growls, poking the costume once more. She giggles, shaking her head._

_"You're a pirate, silly, and I shall be a matching piratess." She announces, smiling a little too wide for the situation._

_"That's not a word, Effie. There's no such thing as a piratess." He grumbles, pulling the costume down from its hanger._

_"Of course it is, you silly man!" She trills, giggling. He just shakes his head. He knows she's not exactly the brightest light in the Capitol. "Now change! I want to see what you look like!" She claps her hands excitedly and he rolls his eyes._

_"I'll change if you do." He reasons, secretly just wanting to see if his suspicions about her costume are correct. He knows there's no such thing as a piratess. A "Sexy pirate" however? That he's heard of. He watches her leave the room; smirking at the image his mind conjures up of her costume._

_He changes, deciding to humor her and kill the time until she returns, and when she does, he realizes he picked a bad time to chug down some more whiskey. He chokes as she enters the room, his eyes widening at her revealing costume._

_"Haymitch! You look divine!" She squeals, over-excited. He smirks; enjoying the view he's got of her right now._

_"You… uh…" He chuckles, eyeing up the low cut of her costume's top. "You look nice. Never thought I'd see Effie Trinket in a sexy pirate costume."_

_"It is not a sexy pirate!" She snaps, her face flushing crimson under her surprisingly thin make-up. "It's a piratess! I told you!" She insists. His eyes travel to the skirt - a loose fitting number that can only just be considered anything more than a belt – and his gaze continues to travel down to the brown, high-heeled, leather boots that stretch up to just below her knee._

_"If you insist, sweetheart." He grins as he downs the rest of his bottle. She shakes her head, glaring at him as she marches over to lead him to the party._

_"For once, you look acceptable!" She compliments him. He scowls._

_"This is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn in my life. Is the hat necessary!?" He complains. She giggles._

_"It completes the look. I have my own too, you see?" She reaches up to touch the small, girly hat, precariously balanced on top of her natural blonde curls._

_"Nice hair." He murmurs, smirking at her, enjoying watching her squirm as she's forced to flaunt her natural look for a change._

_"Yes, well, the hat wouldn't stay on my wig." She mutters, clearly annoyed about it. "Anyway!" She exclaims brightly, "Let's go!" She beams up at him. He sighs, but allows her to drag him towards the elevator._

_If anything, he figures he'll have a nice night eyeing up her body in that costume._


End file.
